A non-contact power supply apparatus is configured to transmit power in a non-contact manner from a primary-side coil to a secondary-side coil by supplying alternating current power to the primary-side coil. The non-contact power supply apparatus is provided with an alternating current power output unit, a power transmitting unit, wiring, a detecting unit, and a determining unit. The alternating current power output unit is capable of outputting alternating current power. The power transmitting unit has the primary-side coil. The wiring electrically connects the alternating current power output unit and the power transmitting unit to each other. The detecting unit detects a ratio between an output voltage and an output current, which are outputted from the alternating current power output unit, or a phase difference between the output voltage and the output current. On the basis of the ratio and/or the phase difference detected by means of the detecting unit, the determining unit determines whether an abnormality has generated or not in the non-contact power supply apparatus.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A non-contact power supplying apparatus configured to supply a primary coil with AC power to transmit power in a non-contact manner from the primary coil to a secondary coil, the non-contact power supplying apparatus comprising: an AC power output unit capable of outputting AC power; a power transmission unit including the primary coil; a cable electrically connecting the AC power output unit and the power transmission unit; a detector that detects a ratio of an output voltage and an output current output from the AC power output unit and a phase difference of the output voltage and the output current; and a determination unit that determines whether or not an abnormality is occurring in the non-contact power supplying apparatus based on at least one of the ratio and the phase difference detected by the detector, wherein each of the primary coil and the cable includes bundled conductive wires, and the determination unit determines that at least one of the primary coil and the cable is partially broken when the ratio of the output current to the output voltage is a value other than zero and lower than a threshold set in advance and when the phase difference is in a specified range.
2. The non-contact power supplying apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a control unit that controls the AC power output unit so that AC power for determining an abnormality is output when the secondary coil is not located at a position where power is receivable from the primary coil, wherein the determination unit performs the determination based on the detection result of the detector when the AC power for determining an abnormality is output.
3. A non-contact power supplying system comprising the non-contact power supplying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the non-contact power supplying system transmits the AC power to the secondary coil that is arranged in a vehicle and charges a vehicle battery arranged in the vehicle with the AC power received by the secondary coil.
4. A non-contact power supplying apparatus configured to supply a primary coil with AC power to transmit power in a non-contact manner from the primary coil to a secondary coil, the non-contact power supplying apparatus comprising: an AC power output unit capable of outputting AC power; a power transmission unit including the primary coil; a cable electrically connecting the AC power output unit and the power transmission unit; a detector that detects a ratio of an output voltage and an output current output from the AC power output unit and a phase difference of the output voltage and the output current; and a determination unit that determines whether or not an abnormality is occurring in the non-contact power supplying apparatus based on at least one of the ratio and the phase difference detected by the detector, wherein each of the primary coil and the cable includes bundled conductive wires, and the determination unit determines that the primary coil is deformed when the ratio of the output current to the output voltage is a value other than zero and higher than a threshold set in advance and when the phase difference is outside a specified range set in advance.
5. The non-contact power supplying apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising a control unit that controls the AC power output unit so that AC power for determining an abnormality is output when the secondary coil is not located at a position where power is receivable from the primary coil, wherein the determination unit performs the determination based on the detection result of the detector when the AC power for determining an abnormality is output.
6. A non-contact power supplying system comprising the non-contact power supplying apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the non-contact power supplying system transmits the AC power to the secondary coil that is arranged in a vehicle and charges a vehicle battery arranged in the vehicle with the AC power received by the secondary coil.
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November 20, 2012
June 13, 2017
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